What makes a product ‘green’?

London Drugs carries hundreds of products with environmental advantages. Just look for the signs.

Our ‘What’s the Green Deal’ product signs point out products we feel have some real environmental benefits. From recycled content to certified organic production, and more. Look for them and find out how you could be shopping a little greener (and saving some green!) without having to go to specialty stores.

Some of the benefits we consider:

Third-party certification

Reduced Packaging

Reduced Energy Use

Recyclable Packaging or content

Products that are degradable or compostable

Organic Production

Recycled content in products or packaging

Reduced synthetic chemicals / toxins

Local production

Reduced carbon footprint

Logical environmental advantages (such as rechargeable batteries)

Self-declared environmental claims

Corporate responsibility

Since we started the program in 2008, the list of What’s the Green Deal products has steadily grown as shoppers demand more sustainable options and manufacturers find more ways to make them. So how does a product qualify for a Green Deal sign in your local London Drugs?

The best recommendation a product can have is third-party certification, such as BC Certified Organic, Transfair or Energy Star. Self-declared claims are also accepted if the product’s package and/or website offer reasonable transparency and support for the claim. We may contact manufacturers directly with specific questions in these cases. We also look at the product relative to others in its category. (If all the products on a shelf have recycled packaging, for instance, it would take more than that alone to qualify for Green Deal status)

Corporate behaviour plays a role, too. Does the manufacturer contribute to environmental or social causes? Are they measuring and working towards reducing their carbon footprint?

Ultimately, ‘green’ is in the eye of the beholder – there is no such thing as a ‘zero-footprint’ product. That’s why What’s the Green Deal is an information program, pointing out product benefits that also have benefits for the environment and leaving the ultimate green shopping decision to you.

We continue to refine and define our What’s the Green Deal process, so if you have feedback on our program or products, we’d love to hear from you. Send us a message on Twitter @WTGreenDeal or leave a comment on our blog.